RCMP notes rise in violent extremism amid multiple terror-related arrests

The RCMP in a briefing note complain Opposition critics are “playing politics” over multiple arrests of suspected terrorists.

Blacklock's Reporter says the Mounties in the same document acknowledged “violent extremism is on the rise in Canada.”

“RCMP officials should be mindful the few parliamentary committee hearings held this summer have been notable for their confrontational tone,” said the September 13 note.

“Witnesses should be prepared for questions that ask them to weigh in on how these meetings may impact public safety and how the organization balances public confidence with operational security.”

The censored 34-page note faulted Conservative MPs in a paragraph titled Playing Politics. It cited a letter from Opposition members to the chair of the Commons public safety committee that granting citizenship to a suspected terrorist was “a complete indictment of the Liberal government’s failures on immigration.”

And it quoted with approval a comment from Immigration Minister Marc Miller that Conservatives’ sole purpose was “just to score a few political points.”

However the same briefing note Immigration Screening Of Individuals Charged With Terrorism-Related Offences acknowledged a rise in violent extremism.

“Violent extremism is on the rise in Canada,” it said.

“Between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, 83 charges have been laid against 25 accused, seven of those being young people, demonstrating an increase in youth radicalization,” wrote the RCMP.

“Eight terrorism peace bonds were issued. The number of charges represents a 488 percent increase compared to the previous year.”

The note followed the arrests last summer of four people on terror-related charges, all from the Greater Toronto Area. Suspects taken into custody were Ahmed Eldidi, an Egyptian national identified as appearing in an ISIS torture video but subsequently granted Canadian citizenship, and his adult son Mostafa of Scarborough, Ont. Both were arrested last July 28 on nine terrorism-related charges including conspiracy to murder.

A third suspect, Muhammad Khan, a Pakistani foreign student, was arrested last September 4 and charged with plotting a terror attack on Brooklyn Jews. The fourth, an unidentified minor, was charged with “participating in the activities of a terrorist group and counseling another person to commit a terrorism offence.”

Miller in testimony last September 19 at the public safety committee said he did not consider security screening of foreigners entering Canada to be a failure. “We are confident in our security screening,” he said.

“Are you satisfied?” asked New Democrat MP Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat, B.C.). “I am never satisfied,” replied Miller.

Conservative MP Raquel Dancho (Kildonan-St. Paul, Man.) said the multiple arrests pointed to obvious flaws in the system.

“We have yet to find out how this has happened and to my knowledge you have made no commitment of how you are going to fix it and prevent it from happening again,” said Dancho.